


Beautiful Beginnings

by Rinnchann



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-26
Updated: 2016-10-26
Packaged: 2018-08-27 02:19:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8384200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rinnchann/pseuds/Rinnchann
Summary: It's the big day, but is this the wedding that Neville really wants?





	

Neville stood in front of the heavy wooden door, wringing his hands.

 

_I can do this. I want this. I’m ready for this._

 

He took a deep breath, but it was shaky and didn’t help at all.

 

“Hey, Neville, are you… whoa, hey, you’re white as a ghost. What’s wrong?” asked Harry, who had just come into the side-chamber room.

 

“Just n-nervous I g-g-guess,” stammered Neville. He pulled at his robes a bit, feeling stifled.

 

“Pre-wedding jitters? You’re not getting cold feet are you? Because you don’t have to do this if you’re not ready,” replied Harry, concern etched in his features.

 

“No! No. It’s not that.”

 

“What then?”

 

“I’m just n-not sure th-this is us. The p-p-public wedding. H-hundreds of people,” he choked out, wringing his hands once again. A cherub—one of the many charmed decorations adorning the enormous hall—tossed flower petals at him. He tried to wave the petals away, but several went down his shirt.

 

“I thought you wanted a big wedding? Something about boosting post-war morale, starting a new, more accepting era.”

 

Neville didn’t reply for a moment. He had told Harry that, yes. But those weren’t his words. His Gran had convinced him to do this, and it had been too hard to deny it to her when she made the argument that so many people had died and fought to make a moment like this possible for his generation, and his own parents among the fallen no less. The real miracle had been that the other groom had agreed to it when Neville asked. Severus was still a mystery sometimes—well, most of the time.

 

Neville sighed and decided to tell Harry—it was too late to turn back now anyways.

 

“My G-gran wanted this. You know how she is, and how I-I am with her. I thought small m-might be nice, just a few close friends, a quiet c-ceremony and drinks after. But Gran thought it was t-t-too important, that ‘war heroes getting m-married is important for the p-p-public to see, to b-boost morale.’ And after all she’s been through, everything we’ve all b-been through… I thought I could d-do this. For all of us.”

 

Harry was silent for a second, then replied, “Neville, the only one marrying Severus is you, thank Merlin. Big wedding, small wedding, that should be a personal choice, not just another sacrifice for the greater good.”

 

Neville shook his head. “It’s t-too late now, anyways. I have to g-go in s-soon, it’s not like I c-can just l-l-leave!”

 

“Yes, you can,” Harry responded with a grin. “Wait here, don’t go in.” And he ran off.

 

_Uh-oh, he had his troublemaker face on. What’s he up to?_

 

Neville didn’t have to wait long for his answer. A minute or so later, Harry, followed by Severus and Draco, came bounding back into the room. Before Neville could even ask what was going on, Severus had wrapped his arms around him and disapparated.

 

They ended up in a field of flowers. Harebell and cranesbill, field poppies and cowslip. All in full bloom, swaying in the light summer breeze.

 

Neville stepped out of Severus’ embrace and began to ask, “What in Merlin’s name are you—“ but was cut off when Severus’ lips claimed his. Neville’s hands gripped Severus’ robes, pulling him closer. Severus slid his fingers into Neville’s hair and deepened the kiss, and Neville felt all his worries slip away.

 

“Aren’t you supposed to save that for after the vows?” drawled Draco.

 

Severus ignored him, but broke off the kiss to look around. “I believe we’ve forgotten something important. Unless either of you have your ordination?” he asked, looking pointedly at Harry and Draco.

 

“Oh, oops!” exclaimed Harry, who quickly disapparated and apparated back a moment later, the officiant from the ceremony in tow. She seemed oddly undisturbed, as if this weren’t the first time she had been suddenly transported to a different venue to perform a wedding.

 

“But I—but you—but Gran!” sputtered Neville, his gaze flitting from person to person and finally landing on Severus once more.

 

“Your grandmother will be fine. I only went along with this because I thought you wanted it, and we agreed that you would plan the ceremony and I would plan the honeymoon. Now that I know you were coerced…” he broke off, and gave Neville a long look before continuing. “I want a wedding that suits us, and this,” he gestured to the field and the three other people, “this suits us.”

 

“But everyone is waiting, and Gran will be so disappointed! And this wedding would be good for everyone, to see a happy ending, to boost morale…” Neville half-heartedly listed off the reasons they should go back, though he was already halfway to accepting that the plans had been irrevocably changed.

 

“I don’t care about that,” snapped Severus, losing his patience a bit. “And this is not an ending, happy or otherwise. I’ve had an ending already. This is a beginning.” His face was serious, but his eyes held the ghost of the smile that he only ever showed Neville.

 

Instead of responding, Neville reached out his hand and took Severus’, then turned toward the officiant. “We’re ready.”

 

The ceremony was brief, and Neville kept his vows short as well. For his vows, Severus simply handed Neville a piece of parchment. Neville felt his eyes well up with tears, and he quickly brushed them away before carefully placing the parchment in his pocket. After exchanging rings and completing the marriage bond spells, they shared their first kiss as a married couple, which was quickly interrupted by Harry and Draco swooping in to shake their hands and take them out for drinks.

 

Unfortunately, Neville received a Howler from his Gran about halfway through the celebrations, and ended up having a few more drinks than might have been advisable. The last thing Neville remembered from the evening was the set of Severus’ mouth—it was the same expression he wore when Neville exploded a potion.

 

The next morning, Neville woke with a terrible headache and a sense of foreboding. He felt around the bed. No Severus. He blinked a few times and tried to look about the room, but his eyes weren’t focusing right. He sniffed and caught the stench of stale alcohol.

 

_I need a shower._

 

He rolled off the bed and stumbled into the bathroom, falling into the counter and knocking over a vial, the contents of which exploded all over the bathroom floor. Neville groaned and looked at the note, then groaned again.

 

It read, “Neville, Hangover Potion. You’re going to need it. –S.”

 

_I am in so much trouble._

 

Just as Neville went to clear up the mess, the doorknob turned and Severus strode into the room. He went immediately to the bedside table, and a moment later he turned to face Neville, who had frozen in place. Severus noted the mess with an arched eyebrow and vanished it with a silent spell.

 

“Sit,” Severus commanded, indicating toward the bed. Neville rushed over to the bed and sat.

 

“Drink,” Severus commanded, producing another potion from an inner pocket of his robes. Neville drank it down and immediately began to feel his headache lessen.

 

Severus was standing by the window, looking at Neville with an inscrutable expression. Neville gulped.

 

Severus stalked toward the bed and came toward Neville until Neville was forced to lie back. Severus’ face was an inch from his, their bodies pressed closely together, and Neville was both very anxious and very turned on. His eyes flicked to Severus’ lips.

 

“I had planned on having a chat with you about last night, but it seems there are more… pressing issues at hand,” Severus spoke into Neville’s ear, sending shivers down his spine.

 

The kiss was slow and sensuous, with a bit of a dangerous edge to it, an excitement that was barely held in check.

 

 _Oh right, this is our honeymoon…_ Neville felt his face flush.

 

“Good morning, Mr. Snape-Longbottom,” said Severus when he finally broke the kiss.

 

“Good morning, Mr. Snape-Longbottom,” replied Neville, smiling as a feeling of utter contentment flooded him. A light smile touched Severus’ features for a fleeting moment before he leaned in for another kiss.

 

It was only much later that day that Neville saw the bouquet of flowers—harebell, cranesbill, field poppies, and cowslip—in the vase on the nightstand. Severus was right—they had already come a long way, but this was their beginning.

 

Neville touched the bouquet lightly.

 

And what a beautiful beginning it was.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much to dreamy_eyes, Fuji, diddleymaz, and CattB who commented on "Morning Coffee," your encouragement inspired this story to finally get off the ground! I am also working on a prequel to this one--how Neville and Snape got together in the first place--but it's not writing itself the way this one did, so it might be a few more weeks before I get that one done.
> 
> Let me know in the comments what you think, like or dislike, and if there's anything you want to read more of from me!  
> Thanks!


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